Raipur. (24:04): During the ongoing IPL season, bookies are actively placing bets worth lakhs and crores on every match. The Raipur Police has been vigilant in cracking down on these activities. In one recent case, the Raipur Police busted an online betting ring and arrested several bookies from West Bengal. Many bank passbooks, ATM cards, laptops, and mobile phones were seized from the accused, along with large sums of money deposited in various accounts. The incident took place in the jurisdiction of the Ganj police station.
On April 22, the Anti-Crime and Cyber Unit received information that an individual was engaged in online betting on his mobile phone near Satkar Hotel Gali, within the Ganj police station area, during an IPL cricket match. Acting on this tip-off, Additional Superintendent of Police Crime Sandeep Mittal and Deputy Superintendent of Police Crime Sanjay Singh instructed the Anti-Crime and Cyber Unit and Ganj police station to apprehend the suspect. A joint team was dispatched to the location where they identified and arrested the individual described by the informer. Upon checking the suspect’s mobile phone, it was discovered that he was indeed involved in online betting during the cricket match. Further interrogation revealed that he was taking betting lines from individuals based in Kolkata, West Bengal.
Since the Anti Crime and Cyber Unit team from Raipur was already in Kolkata, West Bengal, tracing the accused in the Mana police station case, senior officials directed them to take action against the bookies. Consequently, the team raided a flat located in New Town Golabari, 24 Parganas. Eight individuals were found inside the flat, engaged in online betting using laptops and mobile phones.
After thorough interrogation, the bookies confessed to accepting bets during the cricket match through the Reddy Anna app and online platforms. They revealed that the main leader of this operation was Mohit Somani, a resident of Samta Colony, Azad Chowk, Raipur.
8 bookies have been arrested in connection with the case. During the operation, authorities seized 5 laptops used for betting, 36 mobile phones worth approximately Rs 12,00,000/-, and 24 bank passbooks along with 24 ATM cards from their possession. The bookies had over a dozen bank accounts through which betting money was transacted, and large sums were deposited in these accounts. Legal action will be taken against them as per the law. The case has been registered under crime number 188/24 section Ch.G. at the Ganj police station, citing an offense under Section 7 of the Gambling Prohibition Act 2022. Mohit Somani, the main kingpin of the operation, is currently absconding, and efforts are underway to trace and arrest him.
The arrested individuals are:
- Prakash Wadhwani, son of Jagdish Kumar Wadhwani, aged 26, residing at Chaubey Colony, in front of Life Birth Hospital, police station Azad Chowk, Raipur.
- Jaiprakash Joshi alias J.P., son of Vinod Kumar Joshi, aged 32, residing at Shiv Colony, Palwas Road, Ward No. 21, Kotwali District, Sikar Rajasthan, near Prince School.
During the operation, Inspector Deepak Paswan, in-charge of Ganj police station, Paresh Pandey, in-charge of Anti-Crime and Cyber Unit, Sub-Inspector Mukesh Sori, Sauni Jameel Khan, P.R. Abhishek Singh, R. Dhananjay Goswami, Vijay Patel, Suresh Deshmukh, and Sauni Shankar Lal Sahu played crucial roles.
